Governance - Bylaws

Revised 1 July 2009

Article I - Membership

Section 1. An individual member in good standing shall enjoy all of the rights and privileges of the College including participation in meetings, voting, and holding office except as provided in the Constitution and Bylaws.

Section 2. Diplomates may be censured, suspended, expelled from membership in the College or have their certification as Diplomates revoked for unethical conduct, fraud, or for actions considered contrary to the objectives of this organization.  Allegations of misconduct must be submitted in writing to the Executive Director.  A Diplomate so charged shall be given an opportunity for a hearing before the Board of Directors.  A two-thirds majority of those present and voting is required for disciplinary action. In the event of an adverse decision by the Board of Directors, the affected person (s) shall be advised of the procedure for appealing the adverse decision.

Article II - Certification

Section 1. Before candidates may be certified as Diplomates in laboratory animal medicine, they must:

  1. Have made application on a form provided and approved by the organization, and have paid the certification fee.
  2. Have completed one of the following training and/or experience requirements:
    1. Applicants may qualify by successfully completing an ACLAM-recognized laboratory animal medicine training program at the time of application.
    2. Applicants may qualify to take the examination by completing six years of full-time experience in laboratory animal medicine, as defined by the Credentials Committee, at the time of application.
  3. Have been the first author of an original article, that demonstrates application of the scientific method in the biological sciences (or in the physical sciences or other scientific area if relevant to laboratory animal medicine). The article must have been published or accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal at the time of application.
  4. Have successfully completed a comprehensive examination and have satisfactory moral and ethical standing in the profession.

Section 2. Certification of successful candidates shall require a majority affirmative vote by the Board of Directors.

Section 3. In the event of an adverse decision by the College, the affected person(s) shall be advised of the procedure for appealing the adverse decision.  The affected party may file a written petition on the grounds that the College has ruled erroneously by disregarding the established criteria for certification or approval; failing to follow its stated procedures; or failing to consider relevant evidence and documentation presented.

  1. Written petitions must be received by the Executive Director within 90 days of the date that the College announces its adverse decision.  Such petitions shall include a statement of the grounds for reconsideration and documentation, if any, in support of the petition.
  2. The affected party may, at the discretion of the College, be invited to appear at the next regular meeting of the Board of Directors.
  3. The decision of the College shall be delivered in writing by mail not more than 60 days after receipt of the petition.
  4. If the affected party is not satisfied with the decision, he or she may request mediation by the American Board of Veterinary Specialties of the American Veterinary Medical Association according to their established procedures.

Section 4. In order to maintain a currently certified status, Diplomates must meet recertification requirements as established by the Board of Directors.

Article III - Officers

Section 1. The Vice President, the Secretary-Treasurer, and when necessary, the President and/or President-Elect shall be elected by mail ballot by the Diplomates.

Section 2. The term of office for each officer shall be for one year, beginning at the conclusion of the annual ACLAM business meeting held in conjunction with the national American Association of Laboratory Animal Science meeting and extending through the succeeding annual ACLAM business meeting in the next calendar year.

Section 3. The President shall preside over all meetings of the College and the Board shall administer the affairs of the organization according to the Constitution and Bylaws and the policies enunciated by the Board.  The President shall not ordinarily be a voting member of the Board.  Notwithstanding the foregoing he or she shall be entitled to vote, both in person at meetings and after the tabulation of a mail ballot, in order to decide an issue in the event of a tie.  The President shall also be required to vote if, without his or her vote, the Board would not have a quorum necessary for the transaction of business.

Section 4. The President-Elect shall automatically become President at the termination of the predecessor's term of office.  The Vice President shall automatically become President-Elect at the termination of the predecessor’s term of office.  In case the President is unable to perform the duties of the office, the duties shall be assumed by the President-Elect.  In case the President and President-elect are unable to perform the duties of their respective offices, the Immediate Past-President shall serve as acting President for the remainder of the year, or until either the President or President-elect can resume their duties.  In case the President-Elect is unable to perform the duties of the office, other than serving as acting President, the duties shall be assumed by the Vice President.  In case the Vice President is unable to perform the duties of the office, the President, with approval of the Board of Directors shall appoint a Diplomate in good standing to this position until the next regular election of the College. At this election a Diplomate is to be elected to the office of President-Elect.

Section 5. The Immediate Past-President shall be the retiring President.

Section 6. The Secretary-Treasurer shall:

  1. Oversee the maintenance of the records of the Secretary-Treasurer's office.
  2. Attend all meetings of the Board of Directors of the College.
  3. Keep all notes and records of official meetings and sessions until the Board of Directors approves their disposal.
  4. Oversee maintenance of the financial records of this organization as kept by the Executive Director.
  5. With consent of the Board of Directors, oversee deposit or investment of all monies prudently in the name of the College as carried out by the Executive Director.

Section 7. Should a vacancy in the office of Secretary-Treasurer occur, the President shall appoint and the Board of Directors shall approve a Diplomate to that office for the remainder of the unexpired term.

Article IV - Board of Directors

Section 1. The Board shall consist of six Diplomates elected by mail ballot plus the President, the President-Elect, the Vice President, the Immediate Past-President, and the Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 2. The term of office for the elected members of the Board shall be three years, each one beginning at the conclusion of the annual ACLAM business meeting and extending through the annual ACLAM business meeting in the third calendar year.

Section 3. The Board shall meet annually at the time and place of the annual meeting of the organization, and at such other times as deemed necessary by the Board. 

Section 4. Six members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

Section 5. The Board may also act upon business matters presented in writing to the Board.  The procedures for voting by mail ballot shall be as follows:

  1. The question shall be phrased so that a yes or no answer may be given.
  2. A ballot shall be sent by the Executive Director to each member of the Board.
  3. A return date shall be set fifteen (15) days from the time the ballot is sent.
  4. In case of ballots sent by US Postal Service, ballots postmarked after the closing date shall not be counted.  In the case of ballots sent by e-mail or facsimile, ballots received after the closing date shall not be counted.
  5. A simple majority of votes cast shall determine whether a proposal is approved or disapproved.
  6. The Executive Director shall report the results of the voting within fifteen (15) working days after the closing date.  The report shall be included as an addendum to the minutes and approved by the Board of Directors at its next regular meeting.

Section 6. The Board may adopt procedures for acting on business via telephone conference call or other electronic means.

Section 7. The Board shall:

  1. Transact all business on behalf of the College, including the certification of Diplomates, and do all such other things as the Constitution and Bylaws direct.
  2. Have the accounts of the College audited annually, and at such other times as are necessary or advisable.
  3. Present a report of its actions at each annual meeting of the College.

Section 8. The Board is authorized to employ an Executive Director and other staff.

Section 9. Should a member of the Board of Directors be unable to perform the duties of office, the President, with concurrence of a majority of the Board of Directors, will appoint a member of the College to complete the vacated term of office.  If the vacancy occurs in the last year of the term, the position will remain open until the next annual election.

Article V - Nominations and Elections

Section 1. The Nominations Committee shall make nominations for each Officer and Board of Directors position.

Section 2. Nominations for Officer and Board of Directors positions may be made by petition.  Each petition must be signed by at least 25 active Diplomates in good standing.  Petitions must be submitted to the Executive Director by an announced date.

Section 3.      Elections shall be by mail ballot.  Members shall have at least 21 days to return the ballot.  For election to Officer positions the person receiving the highest number of votes for a position shall be elected, unless no person receives at least 40% of the votes cast for a position.  In this case there shall be a runoff election between the two persons receiving the highest number of votes.  For election to Board of Directors positions, the members shall be instructed to vote for the number of persons equal to the number of positions to be filled.  Candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected, unless an individual receives the votes of less than 40% of the members casting votes for Board of Directors positions.  In this case there shall be a runoff election between/among the remaining candidates receiving the highest number of votes, two per election position remaining available. In the case of ties, the election will be decided by the Board of Directors.

Article VI - Annual Meeting

Section 1. The annual meeting of this organization shall be held at the time and place announced at least 60 days in advance to the membership.

Section 2. The annual meeting of this organization, except business sessions, meetings of the Board, examinations and examination review sessions, shall be open to any persons interested in attending.

Article VII - Committees

Section 1. This organization shall have the following standing committees:  Nominating, Credentials, Publications, Recertification, Training Program Oversight, Foundation, Planning, Certification Oversight, Examination, Examination Review, Examination Resources, Awards, Recruitment and Education Oversight, Career Pathways and Government and Regulatory Affairs.

Section 2. The President-Elect, with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors, shall annually appoint the chairman and members of all committees and shall designate members of the Board of Directors to serve as the liaison and as non voting ex-officio members on each of the standing committees. These appointments shall be for his or her year of President.

Article VIII - Dues and Fees

Section 1. Members shall pay annual dues in the amount established by the Board.

Section 2. Dues shall become payable on January 1 of each year and shall be paid to the Executive Director.  A member who fails to pay dues for 2 months after due date shall be designated as not in good standing.  (If dues are unpaid after 12 months, membership is automatically terminated.)

Section 3. All applications to take the written examination or for certification shall be accompanied by a fee as established by the Board.

Article IX - Amendments

Section 1. Proposed amendments to Bylaws signed by at least three members in good standing may be submitted to the Board of Directors for consideration. The Board of Directors can amend the Bylaws by 2/3 vote at any convened meeting. Notice of the proposed changes to the Bylaws shall be given to the membership a minimum of 30 days for comment before the meeting at which they will be voted upon by the Board of Directors.

 

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